The day had passed and
gone by the time they could return their answer to Madame Harpe.
Paellen, Lucas and Oz returned to Nobility Way and pushed through the
cloying scent of jasmine to once again return to the common room of
the brothel. It was much the same as it had been the day before and
Paellen plopped himself on the couch, doubting he would have to wait
as long as he had the day before.

Lucas entertained
himself by grabbing one of the little faux gems and rolling it back
and forth across his knuckles, flipping it around in the air and then
catching it. "Think anyone actually tries and takes these?" He
asked, tapping it against the wood.

Oz paused from his
pacing to shrug. "Who knows? I'm sure some have tried, though
I'd rather go up against the guards then any of the cathouses."
He kept moving, agitated. If there was one thing that made Two-Steps
more nervous than he already was, it would be half-naked women.

Much as Paellen had
thought, it wasn't long at all before the secret door opened and a
woman came out. It wasn't Angelica today, but another girl, her
skin the color of ebony, her hair dark as obsidian. She wore a short
skirt that left nothing to the imagination as she curtsied before
them. Oz grew at least another three shades of deeper red.

"Mr. Silkfingers,
we've been expecting you. If your men would be so kind to wait
here or take advantage of our services, we will conduct you alone to
Madame Corva." She smiled, revealing teeth that were as bright as
her skin was dark. Lucas didn't look up from his sleight of hand,
while for his part, Oz was doing his best to keep his eyes above the
woman's neckline.

"Madame Corva knows
very well that I brought my associates with me so we all could
discuss these future opportunities." Paellen said, remaining
seated. "Tell her that if she won't allow them in, she can
consider the deal off and all hostilities engaged."

"As you wish, sir,"
she curtsied again, seeming to gain some great satisfaction from Oz's
reaction once again. "If you will kindly wait here, I will ask her
of her desire."

"Very good."
Paellen said, kicking up his feet to make himself more comfortable.

"Would you care for
any wine or dance while you wait?" The woman asked, glancing at Oz
as she did so.

Before Lucas could
agree or Oz could squeak, Paellen shook his head. "We're fine,
thank you. We'll just wait."

"As you will," she
said, being sure to brush up against Oz on her way out. Another tiny
smile appeared on her lips as the thief fidgeted away. With that,
the door was shut once again and the trio were left by themselves for
a time.

"Oz," Lucas said,
picking up another of the two gems and attempting to juggle them,
"Please tell me you aren't going to faint before we get there."

Oz (if it was possible)
blushed even harder. He pretended to look at one of the paintings on
the wall for a moment before finally saying, "She wasn't wearing
any panties!"

"No, she wasn't,"
Paellen agreed, "I believe it tends to make her job faster and
easier. She seems to enjoy the twitchy types, though. Care for an
hour with her after this is over? It'd be my treat. Maybe you'd
finally relax."

"I'm perfectly
relaxed!" He stammered out. "Just… fine!" He finally
turned away from the painting and slumped on the couch next to them.
"Can we just hurry this up and get out of here?"

Paellen leaned forward
and put his hand on Oz's knee. In a sympathetic voice he said,
"Don't worry, Oz. They won't bite you." He chuckled, "You
have to pay extra for that."

Oz brushed Paellen's
hand away, "Can we just focus on the business we're here for?
Please?"

Before anyone could say
anything, the door reopened and the night's Hostess walked out
again. "Madame Corva agrees, as long as the usual precautions are
taken." Two women stepped out from behind her, each in outfits
that left less to the imagination then the one before. Angelica was
one of them, the other he didn't recognize. Paellen hoped the
noise coming from Oz's throat wasn't as much of a whimper as it
sounded.

Lucas's grey eyes
flashed. "Precautions?" He asked, as Oz mimicked Paellen's
example by leaning forward, palm against the wall. One of the others
made her way to Paellen while the ebony beauty leapt on Oz like a cat
pouncing on a mouse. Two-Steps jumped like he was goosed as her dark
fingers ran over his body.

"Hey," Paellen said
with a good-natured wink, "I normally have to pay for that
kind of treatment." He was rather disappointed with how
professional his own girl was being.

Lucas remained seated
on the couch. The fake gems were dropped. Angelica looked down at
him. "No weapons will be allowed in the presence of Madame Corva.
You will leave them here with us and you will get them back once you
leave, Surgeon." Her hand crept to the back of her dress, where
Paellen was quite sure the whip from the day before was still hiding.

"Do I look stupid to
you? I don't trust any of you enough to go in there empty-handed."
That cold voice brought a drop of sweat onto Paellen's brow. The
woman searching him was satisfied and let him push away from the
wall.

Just in time for
Paellen to see Angelica bring out the whip with one smooth motion of
her hand. Her voice was just as frozen as Lucas's when she
replied, "Then you won't see Madame Corva until we take them from
you."

With the merest flicker
of his wrists, a dagger appeared in each of Lucas's hands. "Care
to give it a shot?" His eyes locked onto the whip, his body
tensed. If Paellen didn't do something soon, blood was going to be
shed.

"Lucas, just give up
the damn blades!" He said, ignoring how the girl who'd just
searched him was quietly making her way to his back. "What do you
think's going to happen? They'll disappear if you let them out
of your sight for five goddamn minutes?"

"I don't think
anything will happen to them," Lucas replied to Paellen, his eyes
never leaving Angelica. "Because, I'm not giving them
up."

With every passing
breath, Paellen imagined he could feel the knife that was undoubtedly
hovering at his back, could see how quickly this little room of fake
extravagances could lead to some very real death. He looked over to
Oz for help, only to see the thief getting his ear nibbled on by the
woman who seemed to be searching him for anything but weapons.
The thief was so bright red, it looked like his face was about to
burn a hole directly into the wall.

"Take Oz as a
hostage!" Paellen blurted out.

Everyone in the room,
paused to look at him like he'd grown mad. All except for Oz who
merely let out a screeched, "What!?"

But now that he'd had
the idea, Paellen rolled with it. He assumed his most confident airs
and explained. "Ladies, our dear Surgeon here holds Two-Steps in
as high regard as you do your own Madame. If you will allow him to
retain his weapons for his peace of mind, we will allow you to hold
onto the life of our friend for your own. Is this satisfactory for
every one involved?"

"No, it damn well
isn't!" Oz squealed. The ladies took a moment to think, then
Angelica nodded to the woman still toying with Oz. With a simple
flick of one of those dark fingers, and one of her rings now
glittered with a thin needle at the end of it, a thick greenish paste
of something wicked coating its point.

"Congratulations,
lover," the woman whispered gently into Oz's ear. "We get to
be together a bit longer." If Oz looked thankful over this, it
sure didn't show.

Seeing that everyone at
the moment seemed mollified, Paellen asked, "Now can we finally get
this over with?"

The office of Madame
Corva was fairly different at night than it was during the day. The
ghostwood desk lit the office with a soft light that left no need for
lamps or candles. The gems that gave off such brilliant displays
during the day were nothing more than twinkling bits of colored light
that hovered in and out of view.

Paellen walked into the
room first, Lucas stalking behind him. Behind them Oz tried his best
to shuffle in with the ebony woman's arms still circled around him.
The door closed behind them, Madame Corva allowing them to wait
until she was done with whatever paperwork was engaging her attention
at the moment.

After a few moments of
leaving the trio standing, she looked up. The old woman's stare
was no different, her frigid politeness unchanged. "You grace us
with your presence once again, Mr. Silkfingers. Please do tell me
what threats and ultimatums you have for me today."

Her eyes glanced over
Lucas as he sneered at the opulence in the room. His grey eyes
clashed against Madame Corva's as he slowly and deliberately
grabbed one of the gems hanging from the ceiling and pulled it off
its wire, playing with as he had the baubles below. His eyes never
left hers as the diamond twinkled, a star flickering back and forth
from his hands.

Madame Corva didn't
respond to the insult, her icy smile twitched not one bit. "I see
our Surgeon is feeling a bit out of sorts today."

"I saw five children
starving to death not two streets away from here," Lucas said, fist
clenched tight around the jewel. "And here you have enough money
to feed half the city decorating your office."

"They were not my
children, Surgeon, thus I do not consider it my concern. Rest well
assured that my own people eat their fill."

She turned her
attention to Oz, a wry smile appearing on her lips as she saw the
predicament he was in. "Enjoying our visit are we, Two-Steps?"
She asked, her gaze dropping down to his breeches. If it was
possible, Oz blushed even more. "Jaquelyn, you may leave for now.
I understand you wish to play with your new toy but I have business
to discuss with these gentlemen that I would rather have kept
private."

With a final sigh and
caress, the woman twisted her ring until the poison pin was safely
concealed, pulled out three chairs for the men and then made her
exit. Once she had left, Madame Corva motioned for them to sit down.
Paellen accepted the seat with a gracious nod. Lucas fell back into
it, still playing with the gem and doing his best to intimidate Corva
with his glare. Oz merely rubbed his throat and began pacing back
and forth.

Paellen decided to open
up negotiations. "My associates and I have decided that it would
be worthwhile to take you up on your kind offer, however we do have
some questions and concerns we would like addressed."

Those pale blue eyes
remained unmoved. "Of course you do. But as you know, Mr.
Silkfingers, everything in this world has its price and consequently
nothing is free."

Paellen leaned forward.
"We had an agreement, Madame. Your secret and territory shall
remain safe in exchange for allowing us to take your place into the
Third Level and the introduction to the Diran scholar which will
allow us to blend in. I'd rather hate to think you've been
wasting our time by changing the terms."

"The one attempting
to change the terms is yourself, Mr. Silkfingers. I made you the
offer, so I know full well what it entails. Information was not one
of those things." She slipped the slim optics she'd been wearing
off her face and tucked them into a drawer. "If you wish for
answers then I shall have them as well. There are things that I wish
to know as well. Satisfy my curiosity and I shall satisfy yours as
well."

Paellen looked over at
his companions. Lucas was still slumped in his seat, if what he was
holding hadn't been a diamond, it surely would've been crushed by
now. He shrugged. Oz still paced up and down the room, but he
caught Paellen's glance and answered it with a nod.

He turned his attention
back to Madame Corva, "I see no problems with this. As long as we
start the questions. The depth of our answers will rely on yours."
He turned around in his seat to find Oz glancing over the books in
the bookcase. "Oz, you start."

The young thief nodded
and turned away from the bookcase. He still kept up his agitated
pace, his legs refusing to allow him to be still as he began.
"Alright, my main concern is about our finances and territory.
We've set ourselves up quite nicely here. If, and I'm
still not convinced we should, but if we do leave the Second
Tier, what will happen to our money and territory without our
protection?"

"That would be quite
up to yourselves, Two-Steps," Madame Corva responded with a
negligent wave of her hand. "I am far too concerned with my own
territory to presume to tell you what will happen in yours. As for
your finances, it is my understanding that many of the Empire's
banks can be found on the Third Tier. Do try and avoid repeating
your first experience with banks however, little Two-Steps. I've
been told that aristocrats tend to frown upon such obvious larceny.
They may not be as lenient as I was."

Oz scratched the back
of his head sheepishly, but refused to be deterred. "So then you
promise not to infringe upon our interests in our absence?"

The soft light glowing
from the desk beneath her only emphasized the scowl that appeared on
her face. "That would be two questions, Two-Steps.
However, since the answer should be obvious, I won't hold it
against you. I promise no such thing, indeed. I've merely stated
that for the time being the issues of my own territory are of
paramount importance to me. Let me be perfectly clear, if
circumstances should change in the future, it shall be business as
usual."

Well, at least she's
being honest, Paellen thought to himself. Madame Corva swiveled
in her chair to look straight at the young thief. "Now what I am
curious about, Two-Steps, is a simple matter. Both you and Mr.
Silkfingers have both convinced the city that you are no longer
amongst the living. Rumors around the city have already began about
Mr. Silkfingers here still being alive-"

"Told you," Lucas
interrupted to tell Paellen.

Madame Corva ignored
this. "However, the rumors about your death have in fact not
abated. Which I must admit to finding intriguing as you've been
'dead' for even longer than our ever charming Mr. Silkfingers
here. How have you managed this?"

Oz stopped his pacing
to look at her and then look around the room. After a moment of
thought he seemed to come to some conclusion and began pacing once
again. "Well, my 'death' as you put it, was much more public
than Paellen's. At least three dozen people saw what they thought
was me being stabbed to death. As for people still thinking I'm
dead, that's simple. I just don't allow them to see me."

"There are always
places to hide, Madame Corva," Oz said, his pacing bringing him
back toward the bookcase. "Give me two steps," to prove his
point, he took a running jump with one foot and sprang up the
bookcase with the other, rolling onto the top until he was out of
sight, "and I can disappear anywhere in this city."

His head peeked out
from the top, "People only look where they want to." Then with
another small roll, he landed gracefully back on his feet and resumed
his pacing.

Rather than be
impressed with this acrobatic display, she merely nodded her head and
looked at Lucas. "And what does the ever frightening figure of the
Surgeon wish to know of me?" Sarcasm dripped from her voice like
venom.

Lucas tossed the jewel
up in the air and caught it. Flipping it in his hand over and over
like a common coin. "This 'King' fellow from the Hidden Court.
I want to know about him."

"I have never met the
man, nor have we corresponded often. He is the ruler of his domain
just as I am of mine. By merest coincidence I managed to do a great
favor for him in the past."

"Not good enough,"
Lucas said. "How can you even talk to him? Communication is
forbidden between the Levels of Loste Mor."

"That is a thing
simpler to explain than it was to accomplish. Communication between
the Tiers is expressly forbidden with the exception of special
circumstances, such as the appearance of this Diran noble. However,
while it is difficult, it is not impossible for someone within the
Capital to send a letter to the outside world. Nor is it impossible
for a letter to be delivered into the Capital from the outside
world."

"Alright," Lucas
said, flipping the gem again, his tone as if he were the master here
and Madame Harpe a scullery maid begging him a favor. "I'll
accept that one."

"I allowed Two-Steps
two questions for the price of one, Surgeon, but I don't think I
shall do the same for you." She leaned forward on her desk, for
the first time since the meeting began, a sliver of emotion trembled
through her voice. "Jack Needles. Did you kill him?"

For the first time,
Lucas fumbled the jewel. It slipped out of his hand, tumbling to the
floor. He broke his gaze away from Madame Corva's. Eyes locked on
the floor, he said, "…I did."

Madame Corva's lip
twisted, her jaw clenched ever so slightly. Then taking a deep
breath, she asked, "How did he die?"

The fierce countenance
Lucas had been displaying just moments before had melted away. Like
a child being forced to admit his own offense, he quietly added, "You
don't want to know." He fumbled under his chair for the jewel
that had slipped but didn't play with it anymore, merely spinning
it in his hands.

Madame Corva's eyes
were blue fire, her voice came out frozen. "In that fact you are
mistaken, Surgeon. Tell me how he died." She clasped her hands
together.

"I…" he paused,
took a deep breath. Paellen felt surprise at all this. He'd seen
Lucas kill dozens of men without ever batting an eye. He'd known
Lucas had respected Needles, but he'd never guessed it had affected
the young man this deeply. "I caught him by surprise. I knew
better than to let him fight on equal footing with me, couldn't
risk him killing me."

Madame Corva didn't
move, she listened with full attention.

"So I asked if I
could join his crew, get his trust," Lucas shook his head, "He
knew I'd looked up to him since I was a kid, so it was easy enough
to do. We got into your house and I showed him the ledgers to throw
him off his game." He looked up at this point, determined to make
Madame Corva hurt as much as he did at being forced to recall it, "He
was surprised, so I knocked him off his feet. Then before he could
realize what was happening, I landed on top of him and kept stabbing
him until he stopped moving."

Madame Corva's face,
if it managed to show anything, was the barest hint of disgust. "You
killed one of the greatest men this city has ever seen like a
sneaking coward? I sincerely hope you rot in the lowest hell
imaginable, Surgeon."

Lucas's fist clenched
the gem again but this time there was no anger in his voice. He
looked down once more. "I'm not proud of it. But in the long
run it was either him or us." He took a moment to look up and
glance at Paellen and Oz. Oz stopped his pacing to pat him on the
shoulder twice. "But if I had to do it again? You damn well bet I
would."

"I see," was Madame
Corva's only response. Before she allowed herself to dip too
deeply into her thoughts however, she turned toward Paellen.
"Alright, Mr. Silkfingers. Ask me your final question and I shall
ask you mine and then I look quite forward to never seeing any of you
ever again."

Paellen coughed and
shot one last look at Lucas, still staring deep into the gem. "What
is this problem that 'King' asks your assistance with? I would
rather not involve myself in issues that I am unknowledgeable about."

Madame Corva merely
shrugged. "As I told you, the man and I have rarely corresponded.
I am aware that an unknown factor has been interfering with his own
business, but other than that I am as ignorant as yourself. He seems
to think that my experience in remaining hidden will help him see
things from an angle he himself has not yet perceived."

"That is not much of
answer, Madame Harpe," Paellen said. "I am quite tempted to give
your question a similar response."

"Always the haggler,
eh Mr. Silkfingers?" she responded, "Well, since I am most
curious for an indepth and thorough answer for the question I have
for you, I will allow you one more if you extend to me the same
courtesy."

Paellen took a moment
to think. What else could he possibly ask her? What more did they
need information on? His eyes lit up as he realized an appropriate
subject. "Crimson Brokers. What do you know about them?" Lucas
gritted his teeth at the question, Oz (who'd still yet to hear
about their encounter) merely gave a puzzled glance and continued
with his pacing.

He'd been expecting
perhaps a guilty start or even more telling, no reaction at all.
Instead, Madame Corva looked slightly puzzled. But she merely
shrugged it off and began. "I pay them a small annual fee to
dissuade them from accepting any contracts on my head. Though with
you having taken care of Jewels Richards for me, I may have to
reconsider the expense. They are professionals and have come to
Loste Mor a few times from people who have hired them to take care of
a pesky merchant or noble from the Third Level. If it concerns my
business, they will offer me a notice before entering into the city."
She drummed her fingers on the table. "Other than that I'm
afraid I know merely the usual rumors about them. They are
professionals and will complete any job they've been hired to do,
no matter how much blood it costs them. Now unless you are
dissatisfied with this answer, may I finally ask my question?"

"Yes, of course,
Madame Harpe," Paellen said, while tugging on one ear. Opinions?
Was the question the hand signal directed at Oz and Lucas. Lucas
rubbed his shoulder, showing he was non-committal. Oz rubbed the
side of his nose, confirming Paellen's belief that she was telling
the truth. He ignored the curious look the thief accompanied with
the gesture.

"Jewels Richards had
been a considerable bother to me for many years now. To say that I
have sent my fair share of assassins at him would be an
understatement. So I must admit some curiosity how you managed to
get rid of him."

Paellen smiled. "It
was a simple game by the name of Reaper's Shuffle, Madame Harpe. A
certain Vince Pride introduced it to me, years ago."

"The Whisperer?"
She asked, eyebrows raising in surprise. "What would Jewels
Richards be doing playing games that entertain scum like that?"

"He was unaware of
how seriously such 'scum', as you put it, take that game. He was
also unaware of the rules of the game, which always leaves one man
alive and the others quite dead. As a matter of fact, Pride
and my three companions have an ongoing game of Reaper's Shuffle
still going on. But due to the intelligence of myself and the
Surgeon's ability with knives, he agreed to allow the game take a
much more long-winded and natural course. All it cost him at the
time was his voice."

Lucas grunted.
"Should've cost the bastard a lot more, Paellen."

"So you got his own
men to turn against him?" Madame Corva asked.

Paellen shook his
finger. "Now, now, Madame Harpe. We've answered your questions
and you have answered ours. If there is to be any more
enlightenment, we may have to renegotiate the terms."

She scowled in
response. "Fine then, let us return to our business, shall we? In
return for introducing you to the scholar who will allow you to
infiltrate the Third Level, you shall deliver to me the ledgers you
confiscated from my home along with any copies you may have made.
Does that sound about right, Mr. Silkfingers?"

"That seems a fair
trade to me, Madame Harpe," Paellen responded and placed the copied
ledgers on her desk. "You shall be given the location of the
originals after we have left, not before."

Her lips pursed as she
brought the optics to her eyes once again and quickly flipped through
the books. Upon finding everything in order, she nodded to herself
and pulled a small ring off her finger, holding it out to Paellen.
"Go to the following address," she jotted down a quick note and
placed into Paellen's hand, "and show him this ring. He will
recognize you as Phaidon Harpe, no matter your age." She took a
long look at him, trying to impress him with the importance of the
object he held, "More men died trying to get that ring into my
hands than I have ever used in any other task, Mr. Silkfingers."

Paellen slipped the
ring onto his finger and admired it in the soft light. It was a
simple platinum band that held a tiny emerald in its center, the gem
being circled by small flakes of onyx. "Elegant enough, Madame.
But why the high price for such a small piece of jewelry?"

Her voice took a tone
of irony as she replied, "Why, Mr. Silkfingers. I have answered
your questions and you have answered mine. Shall we have to
renegotiate the terms for more answers?"

Paellen shot a glance
at both of his companions. Lucas returned the same signal as before,
signifying it meant nothing to him. Oz, however, was emphatic in
that they had enough. "I suppose not," Paellen replied, playing
with his new acquisition. He stood up and Lucas followed his lead,
letting the jewel drop to the floor. Oz stopped his pacing. "If
that is all then, Madame Harpe, a pleasant evening to you."

"And to you," she
said, then swiveled around in her chair to look out the window. "I
believe you can show yourself out, Mr. Silkfingers."

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